This is Mark Bell’s 5 week Sling Shot bench press program, also known as “Stronger in 30 Days.” You bench once a week for five weeks: paused bench press, then Sling Shot work on top of it, then three superset clusters. Week 5 is a PR attempt.
[Read more…]Powerlifting Programs that use RPE
Below you'll find powerlifting programs that use RPE to calculate a significant amount of the programmed lifts.
If you didn't find the RPE-based powerlifting program you're looking for, try using the Lift Vault Program Library. It lets you search through all Lift Vault programs using lots of different criteria, including how weights are calculated and various program types.
Related: powerlifting programs, powerbuilding programs, bodybuilding programs, strength training programs
Beginner Bodybuilding Program Spreadsheet by Ripped Body (4 Day)
Designed by the smart folks at Ripped Body, this beginner bodybuilding workout routine is a great introduction to hypertrophy training for novices. The spreadsheet for this bodybuilding program for novices is based on this post shared by Ripped Body.
[Read more…]Mike Israetel 5 Week Hypertrophy Workout Routine Spreadsheet
This is a 6 day hypertrophy program built on Dr. Mike Israetel’s volume landmarks, using the numbers from Renaissance Periodization’s 2024 per-muscle guides. You start each muscle group near the volume where growth kicks in, add sets and weight every week for four weeks, then take a deload on week 5. The spreadsheet does the bookkeeping, so you can see exactly how many sets each muscle is getting and when to back off.
The whole idea is volume landmarks: the set ranges that maintain muscle (MV), start growing it (MEV), grow it fastest (MAV), and the ceiling your body can still recover from (MRV). Instead of running the same sets every week like a fixed program, you ramp volume across the mesocycle toward your MRV and then reset with a deload. It’s the Renaissance Periodization approach to hypertrophy training, turned into a spreadsheet you can actually run.
I’d point intermediate and advanced lifters here, not beginners. It’s six days a week and plenty of volume to manage, and you get more out of it once you can tell the difference between a productive amount of work and too much. If you’re newer or short on time, start with a simpler program like PHUL and come back to this when you want to push volume on purpose.
[Read more…]BarBend 10 Week Powerbuilding Program
The BarBend 10-week powerbuilding program was designed with the expertise of BarBend’s Fitness Editor Jake Boly MS CSCS, and is a program that was created in partnership with Gravitus mobile app.
[Read more…]“Next Level” Linear Progression Strength Program (Brian Alsruhe)
This is a linear progression strength program from Brian Alsruhe. It is the “next level” continuation of the linear progression programming video that he originally published in 2016 (video below). [Read more…]
Alan Thrall Program Spreadsheet – Untamed Method
The Untamed Method is a free 12-week powerlifting program that Barbell Medicine wrote for Alan Thrall of Untamed Strength. You train four days a week, and every day pairs the competition lifts (squat, bench, and deadlift) with a variation lift, a myo-rep pump slot, and some easy conditioning work. Loads run off RPE and your estimated 1RM, with percentage back-off sets on the main lifts.
The whole point was to keep Thrall progressing on very little. Dr. Austin Baraki built it while Alan was dealing with a newborn, so it is designed around short sleep, little free time, and compromised recovery. That is why it leans so hard on autoregulation: you push when you feel good and back off when you do not, using RPE to pick the weight instead of grinding a fixed number. It is the same block-periodized, RPE-first approach you will see in The Bridge and Barbell Medicine’s peaking templates, and if you are still getting comfortable rating your sets, the RPE calculator does the reps-to-percentage math for you.
It fits intermediate lifters who already know their way around RPE and want structure without a rigid percentage grind. Beginners can run it, but you will get more out of a simple linear program first, and if you are pointing at a meet you may prefer a dedicated peak like Calgary Barbell. If you have the four days and you are comfortable auto-regulating, it is a low-stress way to keep the big three moving when life is busy.
[Read more…]Brendan Tietz Beginner Powerlifting Program Spreadsheet
August 6, 2019 Update: The spreadsheet is now available for copying and sharing. Apologies for the mix up.
A beginner powerlifting program released by Brendan Tietz. A video overview and full program details are below. [Read more…]
Brendan Tietz Submax DUP 12 Week Powerlifting Program Spreadsheet
A daily undulating periodization program from Brendan Tietz for powerlifters. As this is a submaximal powerlifting program, this is best suited for off season work, not peaking for a meet. [Read more…]
Westside for Skinny Bastards Program Templates (WS4SB)
Westside for Skinny Bastards (WS4SB) is Joe DeFranco’s hybrid, Westside-style program for skinny lifters and hard-gainers who want to add size and strength at the same time. It’s built around a primary heavy lift plus supplemental and accessory work, and DeFranco published it as two different templates: the original 3-day version (Part 1) and a later 4-day revision (Part 3). Pick the one that fits your schedule and how much you want to train.
The program borrows the Westside Barbell idea of rotating a max-effort lift and a repetition (higher-rep) lift, but it trims the conjugate method down into something a high schooler, athlete, or working professional can actually run. You train the upper body twice a week and hit the lower body hard, with the max-effort method building strength and the repetition method adding muscle. It’s a loose template, not a strict percentage-of-1RM plan, so you’ll rotate exercises every few weeks and do a little interpreting as you go.
WS4SB is geared toward ectomorphs and athletes who want general size and strength rather than a competition powerlifting total. If you’re brand new to lifting and want something simpler to start with, a straight linear program like Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5×5 is an easier on-ramp. Inspired by Westside, this program is not affiliated with Westside Barbell or Louie Simmons, and it is not a powerlifting program.
[Read more…]Brazos Valley Barbell 8 Week Intermediate Powerlifting Program
The Brazos Valley Barbell Intermediate Program is an 8-week powerlifting program with 5 training days per week, written by David Woolson. It’s two 4-week blocks, each with three hard weeks and a deload. You squat 3 times a week, bench 4 times (counting feet-up and close-grip bench), and deadlift twice, and every session pairs the main lifts with a few accessories.
The first block uses tempo and paused variations to clean up technique at moderate weights. The second block moves to the competition lifts and builds to a heavy triple on the squat and bench press and a heavy double on the deadlift in week 7. Every main lift has both a percentage and an RPE, so you get a target weight and room to adjust it on the day. David’s 10 Week Powerlifting Program and Full Year of Powerlifting Programming are also on Lift Vault.
David wrote it for the lifters who asked for it, who mostly had one to three years of training and fewer than three meets. He says in the video that it might be a little advanced for that group, and you’ll need to be comfortable judging RPE. If you’re newer than that, start with something simpler like GZCLP.
[Read more…]TSA 9 Week Beginner Powerlifting Program
The Strength Athlete (TSA) released their 9 week beginner powerlifting program (aka general beginner approach) as a follow up to their successful 9 week intermediate powerlifting program. Like the intermediate program before it, the beginner program is structured as a 4 day, 9 week program, but also includes a 4 week peak if preparing for a meet.
[Read more…]RTS General Intermediate Program Spreadsheet – Mike Tuchscherer
The RTS General Intermediate Program is a free 9-week powerlifting program from Mike Tuchscherer and Reactive Training Systems (RTS), the coaches behind some of the strongest raw lifters in the sport. It runs four training days a week early on and drops to three days later in the cycle. Every session pairs a competition-style main lift with variations and accessories, and each lift is prescribed as a number of reps at a target RPE rather than a fixed percentage of your max.
The whole thing is autoregulated. Instead of grinding a fixed percentage on a bad day, you work up to a top set at the prescribed reps and RPE, then use RTS fatigue percents to add your working volume. You drop the bar by a set percentage and keep doing sets until the RPE climbs to target. It’s the same idea RTS built its reputation on, and it’s a different animal from a straight percentage block like GZCLP.
This is a loose template, not a polished beginner program. It’s built for intermediate lifters who already rate RPE well and understand fatigue percents. If you’re still learning to gauge RPE or you want something more scripted, run a percentage-based program first and come back to this one. For a similar 9-week RPE-driven peak that’s laid out a bit more cleanly, see the TSA 9 Week Intermediate Program.
[Read more…]Candito Advanced 9 Week Squat Program Spreadsheet
Jonnie Candito released this 9 week advanced squat program in 2016. Like his advanced deadlift program and advanced bench press program, it puts nearly all of its attention on one lift and holds the other two steady.
It is aimed at lifters who have plateaued on the squat specifically, or who have decided to prioritize it for a while. At 9 weeks it was the longest of his single lift programs when he released it, and the reasoning for that length is squat specific. His advanced deadlift program came later and runs longer still, at 10 or 14 weeks depending on the version you pick.
If you are still progressing on all three lifts at once, this is not the program to run. The Candito 6 Week Strength Program is the better fit in that case, since it trains all three.
[Read more…]3 Peaking Template Spreadsheets by Barbell Medicine
Following up on the popular Bridge Program, the crew at Barbell Medicine introduced a free peaking program for athletes preparing for a powerlifting or strengthlifting meet. [Read more…]
Powerlifting Academy 3 Day 16 Week Program Spreadsheet
This is the Powerlifting Academy 16 week program spreadsheet, 3x weekly training version. There is also a 20 week version available.
Powerlifting Academy 16 Week Program Overview
- 3x weekly training
- Competition lifts are the primary focus, but the following variations are also used:
- Squat
- Pause squats
- Bench Press
- Bench press, closer grip
- Bench press, close grip (what is often called CGBP)
- Deadlift
- Deficit deadlifts (3-6cm deficit)
- Deadlift from boxes (8-12cm raised from floor, i.e. rack pulls)
- Squat
TSA 9 Week Intermediate Powerlifting Program (v1.0 + v2.0)
The TSA 9 Week Intermediate Program is a free 9-week powerlifting peaking program from The Strength Athlete. It runs 4 days per week using a daily undulating periodization (DUP) structure, with squat and deadlift each trained twice a week and bench press trained three or four times depending on which version you run. The cycle ends with a test week (or mock meet) where you go for new maxes.
The program blends percentage-based loading with RPE-driven autoregulation. You load the main lifts off your 1RM, but RPE keeps the top sets in check, especially as the cycle peaks. The first four weeks build volume at moderate intensity, Week 5 is a deload, and Weeks 6-8 ramp intensity while volume drops. Week 9 is the test. There are two versions: v2.0 (the current recommended version) adds heavier top sets with higher-rep backoff work and more bench frequency; v1.0 is the original DUP template with a fixed percentage structure and a warmup tab included.
This program is built for intermediate powerlifters who already have a current 1RM for all three lifts and are comfortable with RPE. If you’re still new to the big three or don’t have a true 1RM to work from, start with the TSA 9 Week Beginner Powerlifting Program first. The intermediate program assumes you can recover from 4 days of training per week and is a strong choice if you’re peaking for a meet or a mock-meet test.
[Read more…]Brian Alsruhe Programs (Dark Horse + 4 Horsemen)
Two free strength programs from Brian Alsruhe: Dark Horse and 4 Horsemen. Both were published on his YouTube channel, and he walks through each one end to end on video rather than handing out a PDF.
Brian coaches out of Never Sate Athletics and comes at strength from a strongman and conjugate background, so both programs lean on max effort work, heavy carries and conditioning rather than a straight percentage progression. They are demanding programs, and neither is a good first template.
If you want a written breakdown before committing, watch the overview video for whichever program you are considering. I have kept the vlog series at the bottom too, because watching somebody actually run Dark Horse week to week tells you more about the workload than any summary will.
[Read more…]GZCL Jacked and Tactical (Bench + Squat Only)
This is a variation of Tactical Barbell programming combined with the GZCL program framework. It only programs the bench press and squat movements. Deadlifts are not included. This is ideal for athletes that are either unable to deadlift or looking to focus primarily on improving their bench press and squat. [Read more…]
MEGAZORD Hybrid Program Spreadsheet
If you’re a fan of Frankenstein-esque hybrid programs, then Megazord may be exactly what you’re looking for. Written (or maybe concocted is a better word…) by /u/BenchPauper on Reddit, this program combines the Coan/Phillipi Deadlift Program, Greg Nuckols’s 2x weekly Intermediate Bench Program for OHP from his 28 Program Collection, and Ben Gillingham’s Raw Bench Program.
The results? Well, see for yourself…. [Read more…]
Calgary Barbell 16 Week + 8 Week Program Spreadsheets
Written by Calgary Barbell, the 16 week and 8 week programs are designed to improve the squat, bench press, and deadlift of the athlete in preparation for a powerlifting meet. You can, however, run them even if you’re not prepping for a meet.
Both programs run 4 sessions per week, hitting the squat and deadlift 3 times per week and the bench 4 times (counting competition lifts and variations). Load is programmed with a mix of 1RM percentages and RPE, and both include a taper week if you’re peaking for a meet.
The two are quite similar. The main difference is that the 16 week program has a fuller progression of each lift, whereas the 8 week program is more of a training snapshot. These suit intermediate lifters who are comfortable working with RPE. For another proven free meet prep option, check out the TSA 9 Week Intermediate Program.
[Read more…]